A Broken Circle
by Kitty Katana
Summary: COMPLETE You don't know what you have until it's gone." Inuyasha is about to learn this the hard way when a fight sends Kagome home... and right into a trap. Now, with the help of an unlikely ally, he's determined to get her back- at any cost.
1. A Likely Story

A Broken Circle 

Chapter One: A Likely Story

The breeze settled softly over the fields, cooling the scalding heat of the noonday sun, retreating into the west. Inuyasha had been carefully watching Kaede and Kagome prepare herbs all day, and grew impatient with the entire affair. Sango and Miroku had already escaped the hot sun, and he found himself envying them a bit. With a lazy yawn, he stretched, ambling over to watch the two women prepare some transparent draught, looking particularly disgusting.

Shippou was feverishly digging for something as Kagome crushed some medicinal herd into a tiny glass vial. She looked up with a small smile, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Inuyasha didn't risk looking too long. Something about watching her made him a bit uncomfortable and boundlessly happy at the same time, but he would never admit that such a simple human girl would have such effect on him.

Quickly tiring of watching, he walked a while away; assuring himself that Kagome could take care of herself for a few minutes. The cool forest looked welcoming, inviting him back into the wet darkness. He found himself drawn to it strangely, as he had never before. It beckoned him and, half against his will, his feet began to move.

The leaves glowed an eerie color in the shadow of the encroaching night. A mist gathered around his clawed feet, wrapping them in more uncanny light. It led him along, calling him nearer while a voice in his head screamed futilely against its supernatural power. The smoky mist rose to his face, filling his senses with a far away recognition. He knew what it smelled like- he just didn't want to believe it.

Kikyo… 

There was no mistaking it. Earth, grave soil, and a smell not found often elsewhere- the smell of death. Sure enough, there the miko lay, cradled by the gnarled branches of an old tree. He had to admit that she looked beautiful lazing in the late sun, but there was something in the way she looked at him that betrayed her external charms. Her eyes, focused on him alone, remained dark and malicious.

"K-Kikyo?" Her name felt so strange now that he had spoken it for such a long time.

She smiled shallowly, the warmth never touching her eyes. So much that needed to be said aloud floated just beneath the surface, just outside his reach. She looked at him accusingly, but her voice was a coo when at last she spoke.

"Inuyasha… when will you let me rest?"

He looked back defiantly, refusing to lay down and die so she could be satisfied. Still, his voice was forgiving, careful. "Kikyo… not yet… I'm not ready yet…" He turned to go, but the string tying him to her yanked back harshly. It almost physically hurt to take another step.

"Is it the girl?" He could have sworn her voice was choked with tears, if he didn't know that she couldn't feel rejection anymore. He looked back blankly, his emotions canceling each other out. She smirked, losing all former chagrin. "Come, my Inuyasha. I've missed you…"

His body moved to respond to her beckon, though he fought every step.

"Have you so quickly forgotten my kiss? I will remind you…"

…

Something was wrong, Kagome could feel it racing through her very being. "I'll be back." She whispered more to herself than Kaede. Shippou plunged from beneath the dirt to watch Kagome walk away. She took a moment to examine a newly broken branch, then skulked into the strange forest. She knew where to go as if sharing someone else's consciousness. In a moment she wished she had ignored the feeling.

Kikyo had her arms wrapped around Inuyasha, and likewise, his around her. The two were entwined in a deep kiss. Something shot through her chest and took her breath away. She couldn't handle it again… she collapsed against a near tree, a small sob squeaking from her.

Inuyasha seemed dragged back to reality, stumbling back from Kikyo in horror. Kagome took off running, something guiding her straight away from the scene as easily as it had led her. With fleeter feet than she had ever known before, she bolted back to the village, shedding bothersome shoes and socks along the way.

The hanyou gave his former love a pained look, completely frustrated without really knowing who to be angry at. Breaking her hold, he fled after Kagome. He should have been able to catch her easily, but within moments she had escaped his sight.

She could feet every root, branch and stone that cut deep into her pale feet. But the pain she felt across her feet was nothing to the sharp contractions of her chest that stole away her oxygen.

Small droplets of blood littered the path. The smell of her blood was what tortured him more than anything. He was driven mad by that mere smell. But to know that he was the one hurting her killed him even more.

He let out a long, relieved breath to see her lying facedown on the hillside, though her body was wracked with the effort of stifling her tears.

"Kagome… I…"

"Osuwari!"

A strange kind of relaxation came with being drilled into senselessness in the ground. It was almost his penance anymore, a feeling as if she had exacted a proper revenge for whatever he'd done. She looked at him, her cheeks stained by dirt clinging to her wet tears.

"I… you said… she…" She didn't finish a sentence, but hurt and anger stained every word landing like a whip on him.

"It wasn't my fault!" He said defensively from the ground, her accusation hitting hard.

"Sure it wasn't. Just like the last time." She hissed with an uncharacteristic chill.

He drove himself up against the spell, struggling to rise to her eye level. "Don't you trust me at all?" He demanded icily, but a tinge of desperation tinged the edges of his tone.

"How can I?" Her voice rose to nearly a yell, though she fought the emotion away. A snarling remark came to his lips, but was halted by a sharp slap. "With _her_ around, you can't even think straight!"

"Kagome-" He challenged her with a quiet growl, quickly noting the slap that was beginning to hurt his pride, rather than his face. Before he could explain any further, she stood and stomped off a few steps, looking back only once.

"I'm going home. Don't you dare come after me!"

"Like I'd come after _you_!"

"Osuwari!" She cried at the top of her voice again. "Go away!"

"Like hell I'll go any-"

"Osuwari!"

"Ow! Would you stop that you bi-"

"Osuwari!"

Her voice faded, leaving nothing more than the blood gleaming on the earth next to him.

…

Stumbling back into camp, she grabbed her bag quickly. "I have to go." She mumbled to the others gathered around. The bangs shadowing her eyes told them not to question.

"Inuyasha, ye are a fool indeed."

…


	2. Gathering Storm

Chapter Two: Gathering Storm

The blue vortex swirled around her like a gathering storm in whose eye she took refuge. For a brief moment, she felt the pain in her feet rise to grasp her ankle, then the feel of solid ground.

"Jerk. Lousy…" The same phrases swam through her mind, but not one seemed to quite fit him on this count. She cursed the insufficient amount of derogatory terms there were for a two-timing half youkai. Her vision already blurred colors and shapes with thick tears. Climbing the rope ladder to the top was excruciating with the thousands of tiny cuts on her feet and the remaining burning on her ankle, but she worked through it, her only cause being to get as far away from Inuyasha as humanly possible. She reached up over the well, her hand clinging to the other side, as usual. But now something was different. A sharp pain began to burn in her palm where it touched the gnarled wood of the well. Dropping the aching hand, she struggled out with only one arm.

Dropping to the floor next to the old wooden thing she lifted her hand to her face to examine the sudden injury. Her face contorted in surprise. Her hand was burnt raw pink in the shape of the particular board, except for the completely intact pieces where the surface of the well hadn't touched. She traced the tiny spidering lines of the wood's cracks carefully across her palm. Something strange was happening.

Her first instinct told her to go retrieve Inuyasha to check the place. But she wouldn't dare go crawling back now, so soon. She moved to rise, but the moment her body lifted from the ground, a strange chirping sound trilled in her ears. She struggled, but couldn't command her limbs to block out the noise. _What's going on?_ A voice within her mind had begun the panic routine.

A new pain exploded for a moment at the back of her head and everything faded into blackness… _Inuyasha… help…_

…

_Baka! How could you! She's probably already gone!_

"Damn it! How did that happen?" A clawed hand roughly traced the sting across his face. Kagome had gotten mad before, but never this mad, never mad enough to actually hit him herself. But he wasn't sure just what triggered it… as opposed to the other times. Way to make himself feel any worse, that is, if it was possible at this point.

Close to their usual camp, he collapsed into a sit, angry with himself, Kikyo and Kagome. With an exasperated moan, he let his head fall into his hands. _What now?_

"Inuyasha! How could you?" Shippou's voice was shrill, and Inuyasha already steeled himself for the onslaught that came, just as sure as the sun rose, every time she left.

Salvation came in an unlikely form. Miroku's staff deftly landed on Shippou's head. "Hush," he commanded. "Inuyasha, you must retrieve Kagome-sama from her time." His voice rose to speak to Sango a few feet away. "There have been reports of a powerful demon about, perhaps one with a shard of the Shikon no Tama." He folded his arms resolutely, waiting for Inuyasha to obey.

"No way! The wench left on her own, she can come back on her own!" The hanyou snapped insolently.

"Except that she won't." Sango looked away, almost unaware that she had spoken the words aloud.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha retorted fiercely.

Sango snapped back into reality fully, after seeming to ponder her answer. "I just mean that she won't come back for a while if you wait for her to feel better. Kagome won't give in that easily. And even when she does come back, she'll be angry with you for not coming to get her. Just go now and get it over with."

With no sufficient rebuttal, Inuyasha was forced to back down, leaving Sango the quietly smug champion again. Miroku interrupted his thoughts again. "Anyway, Inuyasha, you ought to go get her soon… I have a bad feeling…" With that, they disbanded again.

_What do they know? I can't go back yet… she'll still be mad…_ He sulked for another moment, then made to take up his far too often vigil by the well.

That simple well was his ultimate enemy. It was the device that took Kagome away back to her time, and what brought her back to the dangerous world he lived in. Neither of its options made him completely happy, though he was thoroughly miserable when she left this way… He sat defiantly down next to it, refusing to go back. On the side of the well were a few more sporadic, bloody footprints. They shone dark against the brilliant jade of the grass.

Something shook him for a second, some unfounded fear or intimation. But when he reached for its cause, he could find nothing- not a sound in the air or shape in the bushes. All seemed relatively calm. Still, he couldn't shake it until a few full minutes later.

The sun was setting quickly, but he refused to go to sleep. Not until she came back. It was another half hour before he decided to go for her. _But if she's expecting an apology, she's out of luck… She should apologize…_

Five hundred years passed in a second as he slipped down and through the well. He found himself looking up at a modern era wooden ceiling. He jumped clear out of the well, straight to the wooden steps leading out of the shed. There he halted, sniffing to catch her scent before she could see him do it. But the smell there was not Kagome's. It was painful, burning his throat and nose. He quickly fled the enclosed shack before he inhaled any more. He brushed it off as a bug-killer, like the spray Kagome had brought once. The smell had been horrible enough to keep away _any_ living creature.

He looked west, where the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. Taking a breath of clean air, he bound up to the house and propelled himself onto her windowsill. Through the open window he looked inside. For a moment, his mind conjured her on the bed as she always was, usually in pajamas, her glittering black hair wet from a long bath. But that illusion faded. Not a trinket was out of place. Her bed was made, but untouched. A few underused schoolbooks lay open on the desk, a reminder of the last time he had come.

With an almost inaudible thud, he landed inside, hoping she was just running long in the bath. Suddenly, a familiar face appeared in the doorway. "Inuyasha nii-san?" Souta stared at him, as if trying to memorize his face again.

"Hey kid." The hanyou gave him a small smirk. "You seen your sister around?"

Souta shook his head, looking concerned. "She hasn't come home yet, do you know where she is?"

For a brief moment he felt guilty about making Kagome's brother worry. So instead of pressing the matter, he shrugged. "She's probably around somewhere. I'll find her." The deadly calm exterior remained, but inside, something was flopping about uncomfortably. _Where could she be?_

"See you around, kid." He nodded and, with no more time to squander, leapt back into the well.

_Kagome, where are you?_

…


	3. Regrets

Chapter Three: Regrets

The darkness was slowly ebbing away from her mind, but a wave of pain was soon to follow in its wake. She moaned, rolling to her side, light piercing her eyelids. One slid open, but she immediately regretted allowing it to. Pain shot through her. She tried to move a hand to her aching skull, but found the feat impossible. Assessing the situation, she realized that she was bound to a pole in the center of a small room. The memories flooded back to her…

"You're awake, are you, strange wench?"

She flinched at the sound of a gruff voice. Standing over her was a bizarre youkai. A bipedal lizard, with four arms and four eyes, all slits as they gazed down on her. A hundred tails or more whipped the ground wildly, all slick with what she suspected to be the poison.

"Wh-who are you? What do you want?" She asked meekly.

"Eki, who wants the same thing everyone wants…" One thin tail reached forward, stroking her jaw line slowly. She jerked away from the sizzling pain. The creature smiled with a twisted amusement, watching the skin he had touched burn. Kagome could only respond with a shudder and a glare of challenge.

Eki mask was of clearly mocking pity. "There, there, pet. No need to get so upset." He reached out, grasping the thin chain holding the Shikon no Tama and yanked it from her neck. "_This_ is what I want…"

Oh no… the jewel! 

…

"What do you mean?"

Inuyasha hung his head slightly, cradling one of Kagome's lost socks. Sango looked at his worriedly, as many questions as he had hanging on the tip of her tongue. Shippou had already begun to cry.

"Are you sure you've checked everywhere, Inuyasha?" Miroku sat on the ground, even his calm exterior faltering.

Inuyasha nodded, looking thoroughly miserable. "I have to find her…"

"It isn't your fault." Miroku rose from sitting with a grunt. "We'll find Kagome-sama."

…

The hanyou's nose had been at work for hours. The trail he picked up was of a strange scent. A part of it was youkai- burning his nose and eyes, but another was most definitely Kagome's. He held on to her thread, eagerly enduring the pain to reach her.

The others followed close in case of a break, weapons at the ready. But the trail seemed to carry on forever, deeper and deeper into the forest named after their hanyou companion.

_Where are we?_

…

Kagome sighed as she lost her grip on the rope again. One more time, she promised herself… always just one more time. She held it again, slowly working at one piece. Why did this always seem so easy in the movies? Every twist tore at the skin at her wrists. It was hot and humid and she felt completely alone. Luck struck at last. Feeling the piece begin to pull away, she mercilessly tore the rest from itself. It served to damage her scalded hands even further, but she had succeeded in escaping. She was free.

For the first time, she looked around the room. Only slightly larger than her own room, with a small end table in the corner, a wicker chair and the support beam she had been tied to. It was dark, windowless. Only a small wax candle burned on the table, to cast shadows against the rocky walls. Turning, she saw a heavy wooden door. Hoping against hope, she pushed against it, and, to her surprise, it gave way into a massive corridor.

Like a labyrinth, tunnels shot out in every direction. With no real sense of where she was going, she blindly ran, turning any corner she could find. When she finally ran out of breath, she peered around to see everything looking exactly the same. The same heavy wooden doors, the same equally distanced candles. Collapsing against the nearest wall, she looked for some escape. Yet she found nothing. No one was calling, no one was coming. _But Inuyasha will come. He'll know…_ But how could he? He probably haddn't even gone to check on her yet. They would have no idea. By the time Inuyasha found out, she'd be long dead. The fight that she had left over seemed all the more stupid now. Finally, as she sat alone in the tunnel, hands and feet burning and bleeding, she let the tears come.

…

A forlorn howl pierced the eve. The crescent moon hung on the velvet blue expanse of night, nearly devoured by the blackness. As the wolf gazed up at it, he realized his mission once more. Launching himself away, he climbed down the cliff face and into the familiar valley. His furry cohorts echoed another howl, running beside him. He had moved closer. Pouncing on the familiar rocks to cross the stream, he bounded away through the waterfall.

Inside was warm and dry, and he took the opportunity to shake the water from his dark henna pelt before journeying deeper into the heart of the youkai lair. Finding Ginta and Hakaku, he spilt his news quickly in the wolven tongue. With a nod to see off the reconnaissance, the wolf youkai slipped into the cave.

At the back of the huge cave, their leader kicked the bones of a small animal against the wall out of sheer boredom. They hit the wall with such force that they shattered into a thousand tiny shards.

"Kouga… we have some interesting news."

…

A flash of crimson was all that was to be seen of Inuyasha as he followed the trail with a passionate ferocity. The trail beckoned him; he could virtually see its wafting fumes. It took all of the others' strength just to keep up with the hanyou. He halted suddenly, recognizing the stench of the youkai. "From the well… they're the same…"A rumble began deep in his chest, threatening the unseen force.

But beneath his feet was a strange tickling… a tickling of air as it passed under them. He reached down, brushing away leaves and dead foliage from his feet. A warped wooden door was what he found.

"It would appear to lead down." Miroku said from somewhere over his shoulder. Inuyasha tore it clear off its hinges. Sniffing carefully inside, he blanched. The smell, the burning was overwhelming. "Kagome!"

…

The sound of her own name halted the tears for a moment. Kagome stood, groping through the semi-darkness.

"KAGOME!" ..._Inuyasha_...

"Kagome-chan!" ..._Sango_...

"Kagome-sama?" ..._Miroku_...

"Ka-GOOOOOOOOmmmmmmEEEEE!" ..._Shippou_...

She could identify neither their location, nor hers. Still, she had to try to reach them. She had to get out. Standing at a crack in the wall, she returned their calls.

"Shippou! Miroku! Sango! Inuyasha!" She pounded on the earthen wall, desperate for her echo to reach them.

"Kagome?"

Her heart began to beat again, relief flooding down on her in all its glorious warmth. "Down here!" She had never been claustrophobic before, but now the walls seemed to close in fast, blocking her from them.

"Are you okay, Kagome-sama?" Miroku cooed gently through the wall. She could almost feel the vibrations of his voice. But her blood ran cold at the sound of another.

"Perhaps you should worry about yourselves." There was the vicious youkai who had imprisoned her. She shuddered. Why couldn't things ever just go smoothly?

…


	4. My Enemy's Enemy

Chapter Four: My Enemy's Enemy 

Tetsusaiga was drawn without hesitation. "If you've hurt Kagome, I _will_ kill you." He could the familiar breathing on the other side of the wall, short and fast. Shippou clawed at the wall, trying to dig through and whining.

Eki only laughed, two of his four eyes following Inuyasha. "Touchy, touchy…"

Inuyasha seemed to have reverted to a one-track mind, focused only on getting Kagome out. The Tetsusaiga was raised again, much to the amusement of the opposing youkai.

"Inuyasha! Don't be foolish! If you destroy that wall, the whole tunnel could come down on top of us." Once again, Miroku was the voice of reason.

"Well then, I suppose we'll just have to get rid of this little disturbance first." Sango smiled slyly at him, but the lizard wouldn't flinch. Feeling somewhat torn by the sound of the girl so desperate only inches away, Inuyasha jumped into the forming fray.

Hiraikotsu shot out, flying straight for the youkai. A tail came to meet it, whipping it into the ground. Hiraikotsu was left a smoking skeleton of its former self, acid still chewing through its core. Miroku's air rip was no more successful, at the moment of its opening, a huge glob of poison was launched into it. The monk dropped to the floor of the cavern, writhing with pain.

Ferocious amber eyes were locked on the youkai, the Tetsusaiga feeling hot and light in his grasp. Few options seemed available to him- any assault might send the cave crashing down on top of the one he was trying to save. Inuyasha finally decided on the quickest course of action. He charged Eki, swinging carefully. The creature simply shifted at the moment Inuyasha's sword had fallen, forcing him to rush past. Then, with a deadly grace, another tail launched, striking the hanyou in the blink of an eye.

…

The howl from the other side of the wall made Kagome's heart stop again. She silenced, listening. "Inuyasha?" Her voice barely matched a whisper. Everything seemed to cease. A smell she vaguely recognized floated down the corridor somehow. A small realization told her to find the hole it came from, but another part didn't want to see what that scent entailed… the scent of burnt flesh. "Inuyasha…" With a small sob, Kagome collapsed into the hold of darkness, once more trapped in the horrible sleeping world.

…

Inuyasha stopped, leaning against the wall for support as the pain in his back made him dizzy. The tail wrapped around his throat, prompting a yell from Sango. Inuyasha struggled under the twin burning and suffocation, looking for anything to get free. Tetsusaiga lay only a few inches from his foot, which he found slowly lifting from the ground. Choking, he kicked out fast enough to Eki, who released him in his surprise.

In a heartbeat, the legendary fang swung once more. This time, it hit its mark. The creature screamed as Tetsusaiga struck its heel, blue-black blood pooling at its feet. Cursing and screeching echoed down the hall as Eki burrowed into the second network of tunnels beneath them. Inuyasha drug himself to the hole, but found nothing left. "We have to follow him." He demanded.

Sango shook her head. "Not now… if we went down there, we'd probably just get lost, then we'd be in no condition to find, much less save Kagome-chan."

"Kagome! …Kagome!" His calls were met by silence. The hanyou's blade crashed as it hit the floor in defeat. Apart from that, he could barely hold himself up, leaning on the nearest wall for support. "D…amn!" He muttered miserably to himself between shaky breaths. Miroku limped over, supported by Sango. They leaned down to where the hanyou lay. He rolled onto his stomach, surrendering to the ill-fated conditions. Miroku took the opportunity to peel back the haori and check his injuries.

The pair drew back slightly. The marks were all raised and raw, a slightly distorted image of the lizard youkai's tail. Inuyasha slithered away from the prying eyes- shoulders slumped and heart heavy. _I've failed you again… Kagome…_

…

The hanyou limped back to the village, memorizing every branch for when he returned to disembowel the insolent youkai. The pain was immense, though he wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that he couldn't find the moon in the early evening sky. It was useless. He would be forced to go into hiding again all night, unable to return again until morning.

"Well, well. What do we have here? A little lost puppy?" A confident voice rained down on him like stones. Inuyasha sighed harshly, in the worst of moods for Kouga.

The wolf demon's eyes ran quickly through the group, weeding out the undesirables. "Hey… where's my woman?" He demanded sharply.

"In the village." Inuyasha snapped a reply to Kouga's question before the others could answer.

"Heh. Oh, really?" Kouga looked menacingly down, daring him to lie. "Because I heard differently. I came to make sure it was only rumor… and that you hadn't actually been careless enough to-"

"That's it!" Inuyasha finished the conversation.

Kouga was not so easily put off. Sliding easily out of the tree, he landed directly in front of the disgruntled hanyou. Inuyasha took a single swipe at his old rival, not close to catching the wolf. Kouga examined a bit closer, just out of Inuyasha's reach. The youkai was unforgiving. "Where _is_ she?" He hissed dangerously.

Inuyasha's hair bristled, golden eyes gleaming dangerously, daring Kouga to press his luck. The air took on an obvious chill. "Go crawl back in the hole you came out of, wimpy wolf." His voice was little more civilized than a snarl.

…

The moment Inuyasha had retreated into the bushes, Miroku explained the situation to Kouga, who would not be put off until he received a straight answer. "We will lead you to the demon's lair and allow you to take his shard if you assist us in rescuing her." The monk dealt softly.

"Well, what are we all still doing here?" Kouga demanded in response.

"What _are_ you doing…?" The third voice of the once-hanyou was like the sound of nails against a chalkboard. He was suddenly visible, looking murderously at Miroku.

"Aw, looking as useless as you usually are, doggy?" Kouga teased from where he sat.

The dangerous gaze turned to the wolf. "That's none of your business… And let me make one thing clear, wimpy wolf… We don't need _your_ help."

"_Sure_ you don't." Kouga smirked at the human Inuyasha. "Anyway, I've been hunting that demon for his shard, but saving my mate will be an added bonus… and being so kind, I'll let the insolent puppy think he's helping."

He narrowly dodged a large rock that Inuyasha threw at his head.

"My, aren't they just the picture-perfect allies?" Sango shook her head from her position beside the monk.

"They'll have to do better than that if Kagome-sama is to have any chance." Miroku rolled his eyes, shoulders slumping. This wasn't about to get any easier.

…

It was raining… the cold, wet rain that could freeze even the toughest hides. The woods were damp, dark and drawn out of silence only by the patter of rain on the thick foliage. The glade opened only enough to fit the decrepit shrine, leaves twisting in undisturbed growth over the it's walls. The group laid in restless slumber within, shadowed by the twisting vines. The once hanyou's eyes fluttered open again as he wondered if he had five minutes of undisturbed sleep this night. Through the makeshift bandaging and herbs, he was about as sore as he'd ever been, and his human form wasn't at all helping. Nor was the fact that he didn't trust Kouga with a blink of distraction.

This part of the forest he wasn't as familiar with, and it was full of strange sounds and chokingly humid. But he would not return to the village without Kagome. Already he had broken a promise. He said he'd never leave her again, he said he'd protect her. An acute desire to shatter something was overridden after a moment, giving way only to a wave of frustration.

He could see Kouga clearly silhouetted in the doorway, tapping the frame unconsciously. "Go to sleep in case I need you tomorrow, wimpy wolf." His irritable voiced sounded unfamiliar to himself in his bleary state. Kouga huffed defiantly, staring up at the black sky. Inuyasha stared followed his gaze. _I can't stand sitting around here… but I can't do anything now… Just be careful Kagome… I'll find you…_

A moment passed in silence as they brooded.

"She'll be alright." Kouga said gruffly, a comfort to both of them. "She can take care of herself, no matter how much we want to protect her." Though slightly confused by Kouga's sudden burst of psychology, his words did calm Inuyasha. For once, he found himself hoping that the wolf was right.

…

"Now, you'll stay put until I return for you, won't you? Humans are such a bother." He went on, leaving a waking Kagome wishing he would stop. "But you look especially tasty, so you'll wait until I can really enjoy you…"

"Now, sleep well tonight, my pet." Her exhausted body gave into natural sleep, but dreams were troubled—full of the possibilities of death involved in her rescue. Hour after hour, she woke up drenched in cold sweat or crying over a dream she could scarcely remember. She was afraid to sleep, and yet she could not remain awake. She didn't know when morning was, blackness being the only constant. So she slipped between sleep and waking, letting the lines between her nightmares and reality blur until it didn't matter any more.

…

Sleep remained elusive still to Inuyasha. Strategies played themselves out in his mind a thousand times, not a single one without sacrifice. The ever-vigilant tails swayed, striking him or Sango or Miroku… The shrine itself seemed blisteringly hot as he sat, wondering if a single possibility could leave everyone unscathed. After hours of losing himself in thought, he could sit no longer. He stumbled sleepily past Kouga who snorted in his sleep. A few minutes of walking found him at a swiftly running underground stream, opened by a huge gash in the ground.

He dropped his face into the icy water, dragging his long black hair downstream. Perhaps sometimes getting wet was a necessary evil… Lifting his head, he shook, spraying water in all directions. He followed the stream as far as he could hear it, to a more familiar part of the forest.

The cool wood welcomed him once more, bidding him forget the dreams that plagued his mind. It was tempting now, but the force drawing him in was mild, controlled. It beckoned him forward, and though he already knew who would lie in wait, he took a step through the barrier.

The leaves glowed an eerie color in the midnight hours, darkness hovering nearby to try to claim the light. A mist gathered around his human feet, wrapping them in more uncanny light. His senses dull, he couldn't quite know where she was and the thought frustrated him to no ends. The smoky mist rose to his face again, and he caught a vague scent of something.

Kikyo… where are you? 

He walked into her clearing, looking straight into those darkened eyes. Kikyo showed him no expression, barely recognition. "She's gone, isn't she?" The woman stated her fact, more than asked him of the situation. Her voice was blank, but undertones almost suggested a sadly whispered death notice.

He looked her over suspiciously as he spoke. "What do you know about it?"

"Word travels quickly, you know, Inuyasha."

"Where is she?" He demanded yet again, growing more frustrated with the noncommittal ambiguities of his former lover.

"If only I knew…" She spoke in a sharper tone, barely perceptible to all but the hanyou's ears. "But does it matter? Come, we can leave this all behind us."

Kikyo took a step forward, reaching for him. He looked at her, frustrated again for a moment. She simply didn't… _couldn't_ understand. He needed to do this. He needed to be sure that Kagome was safe, that she was alright. He couldn't leave now, couldn't let her die. The thought was physically painful… Why? He'd never cared before… Silencing his thoughts, he merely shook his head, then turned to go. She didn't stop him, only whispered from far away. "Inuyasha…"

"Kikyo…" He turned back to talk a moment more, but the forest had reclaimed her again.

Trudging back to camp, the images raced in his head. A thousand thoughts were interrupted by a soft mew. Looking down, he was met by the glittering black eyes of Kirara. The youkai rubbed against his leg affectionately. Reaching down, he gently scratched her behind the ears. Sitting once more in the back of the shadowed shrine, the fire cat crawled into his lap… and sleep came at last.

…


	5. From the Inside

Chapter 5: From the Inside 

It was morn only a few hours later. Inuyasha's silver ears had returned, and were alert to every sound. A bird chirp, the rustle of the grass- no hum evaded him. Tetsusaiga was tight to his hip, golden eyes burned bright. Kouga's jewel shards were glowing softly as he tore around their campsite in circles. The prayer beads around Miroku's arm hung loose while he turned a light shade of green watching Kouga.

Sango looked a bit depressed with Hiraikotsu, looking worse for the wear from their last battle. The Bone Boomerang was looking quite limp. "What am I supposed to do with this? There isn't enough time to fix it…" She sighed.

Taking a step forward to assess the damage, Inuyasha felt something sharp dig into his foot. He stepped off of it unfazed, holding it to the light to examine it. A shard of glass tipped in blood gleamed back at him. "I have an idea…"

…

"Absolutely not." Miroku folded his arms adamantly.

"It wasn't a question, houshi-sama." Sango said with a quiet, firm tone.

"It's far too dangerous. Anything could go wrong." He pleaded under his breath for reason from the girl.

"He's right, mutt, it's a bad plan." Kouga rolled his eyes, but no one seemed to be listening.

"Miroku, we need her to do this." Inuyasha looked at him with purpose and the monk felt a slight pity at the state of affairs Inuyasha was in. Kagome left his side occasionally, but never for so long before in a dangerous situation like this. The hanyou was beginning to look worn out.

"We've heard Kagome-chan, meaning he likely won't kill anyone right away, that gives us some time. And…" She looked for a reasonable argument. "…and I can take care of myself." The monk hesitated again, so Sango quickly took a different approach. She closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, one hand wandering (almost as effectively as his own) to his shoulder and the other tracing a small circle at the nape of his neck. "Miroku… be reasonable." She whispered close to his ear. Inuyasha might have laughed at the completely petrified look on Miroku's face if the moment weren't so tense. The monk took a while to come out of his numb coma.

He broke down at last, after drawing out Sango's attention as long as humanly possible. "Fine, but on a few conditions…"

…

Eki could see the girl sweeping the path in front of the vine-encrusted shrine. A hundred tails swayed back and forth, estimating the right time to strike. She was alone… the others were nowhere in sight or smell. Even if they had gone to his lair, they would never be able to navigate the maze of tunnels before he returned. Another advantage revealed itself as she lifted a translucent shard into the light, considering it for a moment.

Sango held the shard of glass as if it were a real shard of the sought-after jewel, grasping with nearly enough force to break it. She only prayed that the lizard was as power-hungry as the others had estimated and Kagome's presence in the tunnel wasn't a trick, if not, the plan wouldn't work. She could feel Shippou shivering inside her kimono at intervals. She would have suggested that the kitsune go with the others, but having back up was one of Miroku's requirements. Shippou… back up… what a joke.

Eki took the moment to make his move. A flash of color, and Sango hit the ground with a soft thud. Soon, both the Taijya and kitsune were quickly being drug back to the tunnel system.

…

"Wake up." With the two words rattling her brain, Kagome's eyes snapped open. Somewhere to her left, she could hear the struggle as the youkai tied another prisoner. "Behave yourselves…" She heard the door shut with a bang.

There was a rustle and a small pop somewhere behind her. "KAGOME!" She twisted her head about as far as she physically could. Sure enough, the voice wasn't a hallucination due to lack of food. Shippou bounded up to her, hugging her as tightly as he could. She laughed aloud, relieved by the look of a friendly face.

He rushed behind her, and a few seconds later, she felt the ropes burn away with a little help from Shippou's foxfire. Standing, she caught sight of Sango, rousing in the corner. "Sango-chan!" She yelped. As quickly as possible, she had Sango untied as well. She hugged her friend hard, her chest not so tight now. Sango was aware of her instructions in seconds.

"We have something to do. Wait for the signal."

Kagome was suddenly worried. "What do we have to do? And… is Inuyasha okay? What about Miroku? What's going on?"

Sango was brief, leaving more questions unanswered. "We're going to get out of here with your powers. Everyone's fine…"

…

"Come out here and get what's coming to you, you slimy lizard!" Tetsusaiga bore down on the wooden door, a thin line spidering along the fresh wood.

"Keh. Come on, mutt face, anybody could do better than that!" Kouga kicked the door, doing little more than furthering the line. "Damn."

"Would you two please keep yourselves under control?" Miroku's voice was raised in annoyance. "We have work to do."

"Stay out of it!" The two yelled simultaneously.

The earth quietly shook beneath their feet, the wooden trap door exploding open without previous warning, revealing the strange lizard youkai. Inuyasha would waste no time on pointless introduction. "Let Kagome go or die." He hissed venomously. Tetsusaiga exploded out of nowhere into the Eki's shoulder. He laughed slightly.

"Fine…" He chuckled darkly. "Let's play with fire." From a small pouch in his tails he drew a silk case, tossing the fragments into his hand and inserting three into his shoulder. Instantly the wound mended itself and from it spread a wave of silver scales. Reflexively, Eki struck out. The heavy silver appendage crashed directly into Inuyasha, sending him tumbling backward over himself.

Kouga took the rebound, jumping from behind to punch the lizard squarely as it turned. Sliding back a few inches, the beast roared with animalistic ferocity. "He's gone mad with the power of the jewel…" Miroku warned, incredulous himself. With only that, he let several scrolls fly, finding their targets. But the jewel was stronger than the monk's sacred paper. They simply rebounded, fluttering uselessly to the dirt. Another tail struck where Miroku had been standing moments before Inuyasha carried him away.

…

"Now, where is the jewel?" Sango's soft voice broke through. Closing her eyes, ancient powers were put to work in the young girl, calling the jewel. Faintly, it replied, reaching back to her mind.

"There." She pointed directly into the nearest wall.

Sango turned the nearest corner, Kagome in hot pursuit, guiding her. Excitement raced through the girl, but the current of fear followed deep beneath. Sango was looking at her strangely, asking which way to go next. Snapping back, she continued on, whispering comforts to herself. _Not much more and this whole thing will be over… _

"Look." Sango pointed to a corner several feet away down another path, motioning to a weapon. Without hesitation, Kagome hurried down the corridor and grabbed the bow and accompanying arrows, trying to ignore the corpse clutching them. An involuntary shudder wracked her body as she backed away from the decomposing man, through whose stomach she could see the wall behind him. She just hoped the others had fared better than this samurai.

…


	6. Remind Me

Chapter Six: Remind Me

The Kaze no Kizu sliced through the trees, dying out as it hit silvery scales. Eki growled, more annoyed than injured. Four eyes glared at him threateningly, only prompting the hanyou to glare back. Kouga took action in the lull, a claw grazing the quick lizard's opposite shoulder. A shard, covered in black blood fell out. The wolf youkai snatched it up. "Glass?"

"Kouga!" In Kouga's distraction, he didn't notice the lizard's jaws snap down on his shoulder. He tore the lizard off, punching him hard enough to send him into a tree. Kouga's shoulder had already begun to soak in blood and Eki was looking a bit disoriented from his up close and personal experience with the tree.

Ultimately, they seemed to be in a stalemate. Neither side could find an advantage, even through the lizard's blind rage. All four were bleeding and tired already, but their own demonic pride drove them on.

Suddenly, the wooden door swung open, an unexpected rock flying out and striking Eki square between the eyes. The youkai charged the door to finish the job, but was met by a glowing pink arrow. Kagome glared angrily out at him, an arrow strung tight in her bow. Delicate fingers released the sharp arrow, shooting it into the youkai's shoulder. He stumbled backward, clutching at it and screaming nonsensical sounds. A shard fell out, snatched quickly up by a clawed hand. Kouga held the true shard triumphantly, smirking at Eki menacingly.

Kagome's bow still shivered with life, though her eyes were locked on the opposing golden ones a few feet away. The hanyou looked strangely at her, as if she had been away for years. A shadow fell over the girl, silver youkai smirking as a long tail rose from the ground, shooting toward her. Before she could blink, she was no longer grounded, but carried by Inuyasha. It was a feeling she'd missed, but there was little time for reunions and reminiscing.

Once more, she felt something beneath her feet and the bow was immediately raised to aim. The youkai already had a katana lodged in his back, courtesy of Sango, and the others were making their moves on the mad Eki.

"Hey Lizard Boy!" Inuyasha's voice broke through the chaos. The youkai still recognized the challenge, looking up to see another arrow bearing down on him. Without a moment to flee, the reincarnated miko's arrow tore his shoulder off, taking the rest of the shards out. Jewel fragments gone, he reverted to his ordinary form, the same sickening color as he had been before. A tail shot out, acidic nature returning, but missing an arm and severely wounded, the youkai could no longer continue. The appendage dropped lifelessly to earth, followed quickly by its owner. Inuyasha wasted no time in tearing the rest of the creature apart with Tetsusaiga.

It was a somewhat anticlimactic finish to such a long battle. The Kazaana cleaned up once more, giving into an uneasy silence. Kouga cleared his throat and smirked arrogantly at his rival. "Well, I think you owe me a few shards."

Inuyasha sneered somewhat, but picked up a shard and tossed it at him. Kagome looked at him in utter disbelief, but he didn't seem to notice. Kouga picked it up and waved to Kagome, mumbling something about hoping 'the mutt' would be smart enough to keep an eye on her until he returned to claim her.

…

The clouds hung low in the sky, borrowing sun's fiery colors to paint their silver-rimmed edges. The sun itself sat high in the azure blue sky, gentle heat waves shimmering against the trees. The sound of quiet talking could be heard from Kaede's hut, the occasional phrase or sentence slipping through as Miroku and Sango explained exactly what had happened during their battle with Eki. Inuyasha had taken up his usual position in the treetops, looking out over the small village that he had so often frequented recently. Small ears twitched atop his head, catching the snapping of a dead plant somewhere behind him.

A slight limp tainted Kagome's step, barely detectable by anyone but the hypersensitive hanyou she stared at. "What?" He demanded, unsettled by her gaze. She shook her head and smiled, relieved that he was back to normal. By what she was told, he had been quite upset. Maybe it was a good thing.

"Inuyasha… why did you give Kouga the other shard?" She questioned innocently. For a second, she wasn't sure if he'd even heard her. He grunted softly, looking away without any intent of answering. She hadn't really expected him to.

Her bandaged hand grabbed firmly onto the bark. Slowly she pulled herself up to Inuyasha's branch, impressing even him. She sat heavily next to him without saying a word. He glanced to where she sat, looking a bit worse for the wear from her ordeal. After he was sure she wasn't preparing a conversation, he looked back to the bright clouds. "Inuyasha?" His head whipped back around, eyeing her carefully. She was looking away sadly. It was a look he hated knowing. "I… I _do_ trust you. It's just that I…"

He remembered the incident that had prompted her fear, the fight and her kidnapping. He was afraid to say anything in the delicate situation that might earn him more trouble with her than he was already in, despite the fact that the first wasn't entirely his fault. She continued. "But… what about next time?"

He caught the slightest twang of mischief in her voice. He felt the urge to defend himself, but that would probably just start another fight. He only looked away. He felt her finger on his chin, drawing him to face her again. She looked at him carefully, searching his eyes. He could just pull away from her, but the way she looked at him was so odd, deep in thought. That finger never moved from his face. After a five second eternity, she spoke softly again. "I guess next time, I'll just have to remind you." She smiled, leaning in and kissing him sweetly. The same five seconds didn't last long enough for him.

"YES!" Shippou's voice interrupted the romantic moment, earning him a withering glare from a certain hanyou. A small branch _mysteriously _dropped onto Shippou's head. He retreated, crying about how mean Inuyasha was.

Kagome laughed, watching him go, but her companion wasn't finished yet. An instinct drove Inuyasha to pull her in again, relieving her fear that he hadn't enjoyed her kiss. They broke away into silence, a gentle peace settling over the previously awkward hush.

Some time later, Miroku and Sango came to stand at the trunk and talked to them for a while, and the hours melted away until the moon was high in the sky. Sango and Miroku were off to bed and Kagome was asleep on Inuyasha's arm. The peace remained hanging in the late night- a completion of the broken group. He flashed a rare smile at the girl clinging tight to his haori, snoring quietly.

"You might have to remind me a few times…"

.owari.

Notes- Yup. That's it. I never upload all at once, but I love this story and I wanted to at least have it finished for future reference. Hope you enjoyed. Drop me a line if you did.


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